The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-04-28

do. l see Ave uf UNI in de yard an
one under de steps,"
The situation began to assume a
serious aspect. Mrs. Matson at once
had all the doors closed. and proceed
ed to inspect tho surroundings from
every window in the house.
What she saw appalled, her. The
fierce rays OF the sun made every OBJ
ject appear to pulse and throb, and
half blinded as she was with the glare,
it took some little time for her to
salty herself that she was not mis-
taken.
Twisting and twining among the
flowers she counted at least q dozen
serpents. They dotted the lawn in
front of the house and were crawling
along the winding walks. In the shady
back yard it was still worse. The little
Enclosure appeared to be aliving. wrig.
Cling mass ofshining scales and glitter
ing eyes. Many OF the snakes were
running under the house, but how many
had already reached that place OF
shelter the brighten watcher was un-
able to tell.
Mrs. Matson retreated to the spa
cious hall and clasped her hands over
her eyes. 1t was q peculiar noise that
she heard. 1t sounded like gentle
kissing, mingled with rustling and all
occasional mutfled flap, flap! What
could it be? 1t was easy enough to
answer the question. The noise could
only have been made by the scores,
and perhaps hundreds, OF squirming,
twisting reptiles under the house.
For the first time in her life Mrs.
Matson was thoroughly terrified
Obeying a sudden impulse, she rushed
into the room assigned to the invalid.
Aunt Lucy stood covering in one
corner, trembling with fear and unable
to utter word.
Sitting upright in bed, with an un'
natural glitter in his eyes and dartine
his odd little head from side to side,
was the unknown guest.
"Ladee," he said in an unfamiliar
brogue, "be not afraid. No harm ter
dees house. Mesoon meself. Strange
theengs alarm de ladee. Eets all
right"
Mrs. Matson waited to hear no more
she ran frantically to the parlor and
bolted herself in.
"Ladeel Ladee!"
1t was The voice of the stranger out
in the hall. There was a sound as o.
somebody struggling, and the mellow
voice OF Aunt Lucy was uplifted In
vain remonstrance.
| "Missus, oh, mlssus," she cried. "Dis
yer Mister Man hab done got on his
clothes, an is er takin' on pow'ful. He
says he bound fer ter CO."
"Ladee, goodbye. l promised nc
harm ter dees house. So / 60. Good
bye, good-bye."
There was another struggle, and q
yell from Aunt Lucy, and then the
opening and closing of door signaled
the mans Departure.
From the back windows the mis-
| tress OF the house and the half-dement
ed women saw the strangest sight that
mortal eyes ever beheld.
| Onward down the slope leading tC
the river walked or rather glided the
stranger.
From every clump OF shrubbery and
every tuft of grass darted snake.
The man swayed two and fro, whirl
ing his arms. welcoming and reckoning
the legion OF serpents. Whizzine
through the grass, tossing their heads
and kissing all the while the excited
moccasins soon closed in upon tht
man. They twined around his legs
girded his waist, hung upon his arms
and shoulders and wrapped themselves
about his neck until he was a moving
tower of snakes!
| Onward, down to the river whirlet
this strange combination ofmonsters
! The distracted watchers at the biz
house strained their eyes to see the
end of it all.
The moving mass disappeared
There was a plunge into the yellow
waeers OF tho broad river, and all was
over!
When John Matson returned lat,
that afternoon, he found a perfect
bedlam at his house. From the ser
wants he could gather nothing but tn.
widest and most incoherent tales
His fainting wife was in the first stages
of brain fever, and it was many a Ions
day before she could answer bis aues
tons
sit is such blank business, TIT
whc!s blank thing" said Matson tt
his family doctor, chat I'll be blank
ed if care to say d blank word abou
it,"
The doctor was a sensible man. III
agreed with Matson that the best way
was to keep mum,